Digital roll gap verification tool and related calibration stand
A gap verification tool is usable with a leveling unit where the leveling unit includes multiple offset rollers that flatten a material, such as a previously coiled steel sheet, as it passes through the leveling unit. The gap verification tool includes a sensing assembly that has blades that rotate about a pivot point of the tool. An encoder of the tool measures the rotation of the blades and determines a gap between the offset rollers. A calibration stand is also usable with the tool to calibrate the tool. The calibration stand includes offset rollers setup with a known gap.
1 . A device for measuring a gap distance between two or more offset rollers of a leveling unit configured to level a sheet of steel or other material, the device comprising:
(a) a shaft extending between a proximal end and a distal end of the shaft;
(b) a sensing assembly connected with the shaft, the sensing assembly including a first blade having an arcuate surface matching a shape of one of the rollers such that the first blade is configured to contact the roller along a surface area rather than a tangent line or point, wherein at least a portion of the sensing assembly is rotatable about a pivot point;
(c) an encoder in communication with the sensing assembly and configured to determine a rotational position of the sensing assembly and correlate the rotational position to the gap distance; and
(d) a display configured to present a select one or more of an amount of rotation of the sensing assembly and the gap distance.
2 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the display comprises a digital readout configured to present the gap distance measured by the device.
3 . The device of claim 1 , comprising a pipe hub, wherein the encoder is located within the pipe hub.
4 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the sensing assembly comprises a scissors-type configuration with a pair of pivoting blades.
5 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the sensing assembly comprises a pair of blades, wherein at least one of the blades is rotatable relative to the other.
6 . The device of claim 5 , wherein a second blade of the pair of blades includes a flat surface configured for tangential contact with one of the rollers of the leveling unit.
7 . The device of claim 1 , further comprising a level configured to inform a user of the orientation of the device during use.
8 . The device of claim 7 , wherein the level is located on a proximal end of the device.
9 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the sensing assembly comprises a biasing feature configured to return a pair of blades of the sensing assembly to an initial position.
10 . The device of claim 9 , wherein the biasing feature is configured to move in response to the rotation of the one or more of the blades.